


The Chaos Project

by Nonesane



Category: Elfquest
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-08-30
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:36:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4692305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nonesane/pseuds/Nonesane
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the "Tribe Switch" and "Rule 63" challenges over on the old Scroll of Color forum.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Early Evening

Shenshen smiled to himself as his sister came storming out of the healer’s den – again. “I take it that he refused to ‘see reason’ this time too,” he commented, not able to help himself. Leetah rewarded this with a fierce glare before stalking off in the direction of one of the mountain paths. Shenshen’s chuckling followed her.  
  
Ahdri gave the retreating Leetha a curious look, having nearly been pushed aside by her. Poolfisher, his bond, didn’t give her a second thought though. Instead he went over to and greeted Shenshen’s bond, by stroking his head against hers. The two large cats purred deep in their throats, good hunting and a warm night keeping them in a good mood.  
  
“What sand fleas got into her furs?” Ahdri asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
“Rayek of course. High Ones only knows what they were fighting over this time. Lifemating again perhaps?”  
  
Ahdri shrugged. “Perhaps. Toorah has called a hunt – the zwoots are close enough now. Or are you too distracted to join us?”  
  
Shenshen, whose eyes actually had taken on a faraway look, started and gave Ahdri a playful frown. “What do you mean?”  
  
The question was returned by a knowing smirk. “I hear talk about a certain… _interest_ in one of our potters. A distracted hunter is a prey for zwoot hoofs and you my friend are **distracted**.” Ahdri gave his friend a playful nudge. Shenshen’s only sighed this time, the mirth of his words and facial features dimming a little.  
  
“Zhantee only has eyes for Rayek – as most do. It’s hopeless for me to try and attempt a furmating with her, much less a _love_ mating.”  
  
Ahdri rolled his eyes. “We are not all fawning over Rayek, as you very well know. Don’t be such a rain cloud! The scouting party is just leaving, we should head up to higher ground – be read for the chieftess’ signal.”  
  
Shenshen gave another, mostly faked, heavy sigh and then followed Ahdri towards the Bridge of Destiny.


	2. The Air Burned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember that volcano by the Sun Folk's village? Yeah...

“A child? _That's_ what you're fighting about?” Dodia half-shouted in pure shock, stabbing her dagger a little too deep into the zwoot they were skinning. “You are by far the oddest elf I know,” she huffed, giving her companion a narrow-eyed, puzzled look. “You say you want to be his lifemate, but Recognition you refused to think of?”  
  
Leetah returned Dodia's confused look with a glare, her dagger not as graceful as usual either. “I just do not see why Recognition or children have to be involved. I wish to lifemate by choice, not because of a fickle soul-meets-soul when eyes-meets-eyes, or to take care of a third. I want...” She fell silent. “Never mind that. What I **don't** want, is a child, at least not now.”  
  
Dodia at first looked like she wanted to add something – likely how most of the females of the tribe would have raced up the steepest of cliffs or trekked down the deepest of caves, just for the privilege of having Rayek's child. But something in Leetah's voice and body language made her shut her mouth.  
  
They went back to their task. It wasn't until the first mysterious black flake landed in the zwoot blood that they noticed how unnaturally still the world around them was. Then the ground quaked and shook.  
  
Eyes wide and prey forgotten Leetah, Dodia and their bonds got to their feet and rushed up to the Bridge of Destiny, the closest and highest lookout point. Not that, that did them much good – the air was filling with black sooth, blinding them. The only thing they could tell for sure was that something hot was coming towards them, much warmer than anything the desert had to offer.  
  
**The chieftess is **dead**!** Ahnshen’s distressed sending made its way through the rumbling. **She and Anatim were swept away by the lava stream. The whole scouting party is gone!** The fear and sorrow in his sending was nearly overwhelming.  
  
Leetah felt her heart freeze in her chest. Gone; her mother and father were gone, just like that. Toorah, the wild, reckless, strong leader of the Catriders had perished, together with her gentle lifemate and five other tribemates.  
  
But there was no time for mourning. The air had become hard to breathe – soon they would suffocate, if they stayed where they were. Below them, in the valley under the bridge, something like a huge, red, glowing river of overwhelming warmth slowly flowed by. The mountain was broken, a thing that hadn't happened since the time of the High Ones for all Leetah knew.  
  
**We have to get back to the Holt!** Dodia sent, covering her mouth and nose with her hands. **Is that the rest of the hunters?**  
  
Leetah squinted, trying to focus her gaze on the path leading up from the valley, to the safety of higher ground. And yes, there they were, hunters and lions alike. She couldn't be sure, but if her parents and the scouts were lost, those below could easily be the entire hunting party.  
  
Swallowing her panic Leetah gathered her composure and sent, as far as she could: **Catriders, grab what food and furs you can find and carry! Hunters, follow me back to the Holt! We have to flee.**


	3. Desert

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Escape.

The sky was covered by black, stifling clouds, raining ashes down on both the tribe and the desert. It was hot, yet not nearly as hot as the moulted river of lava they'd left behind the tall mountain walls. Walls that once had been their home. Now everything lay buried, swept away by a torrent of melted rock.  
  
Leetah, chieftess Leetah now, rode at the head of the pride. She kept her gaze aimed at the distant horizon, her hands buried in the neck-fur of her bond-friend. The only thing breaking the silence once in a while were coughs and the distant rumbling of the mountain.  
  
**We won't last much longer,** Shenshen sent to her as the second day of their flight drew to a close. **Sister, I've never been so thirsty and Rayek has exhausted himself half to death already. Please, _please_ tell me you have some form of a plan.**  
  
The tentative hope in Shenshen's sending cut Leetah to the bone. She stole a glance at Rayek, straight-backed and stubborn and far too pale, his glowing hands rested on the head of the small she-kit Jethel.  
  
 _She wastes precious water with her crying,_ Leetah found herself thinking and her eyes went wide. She had to bite the inside of her cheek not to scream at herself, at her tribe and at the sky.  
  
On the third day, they saw the new mountains.


End file.
